It may be hard to believe, but the holiday season is only weeks away, and Better Hometown Manager/Leisure Coordinator Kate Gardner and the Better Business Association are already making plans for this year’s Thanksgiving Open House.

However, the city of Tallapoosa’s Downtown Development Authority and Better Hometown Program has added a new spin to things this year by creating Possum Bucks.

“Local businesses will be getting letters this week asking them to participate in Possum Bucks,” Gardner said. “This is a new retail booster we have developed for the holiday season to benefit downtown businesses.”

Downtown businesses will be asked to donate $10 to the program. The money will then be pooled and raffled off to a lucky winner at the Thanksgiving Open House at Allan’s Florist Thanksgiving Day. The total prize will depend on how many businesses donate the $10. The winner will get vouchers, or Possum Bucks, worth the amount of the total prize to spend at local businesses.

“However, the Possum Bucks can only be spent at the businesses that supplied the money for the Possum Bucks,” Gardner warned. “And the winner can spend the Bucks all in one place or spread it out between several businesses, however they want to spend it.”

Once the Bucks have been spent, the businesses will take the Bucks to Gardner at City Hall and be reimbursed for purchases made at their establishment minus the $10 they donated.

“With the economy the way it is, it would really benefit all the businesses to contribute,” Gardner said.

According to Gardner, there are 63 businesses in Tallapoosa including service businesses, so the potential for someone to be able to cover their Christmas shopping expenses by winning the pot is very real if all businesses contribute.

Gardner encourages all businesses to participate in the Possum Bucks promotion as well as the 23rd Annual Thanksgiving Open House, which draws up to 1,000 shoppers each Thanksgiving Day.

“Please come out and support your local businesses this holiday season.”